Estoril Praia continued its upward trajectory in the Primeira Liga with a commanding 4-1 victory over FC Alverca at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota. The result marked the second consecutive league win for Ian Cathro`s side, establishing a solid presence in the top half of the table. While forward Yanis Begraoui provided a crucial scoring brace, the defining narrative of the afternoon lay in the remarkable, and frankly disastrous, contribution of Alverca`s own defense.
The Tale of Unintended Generosity
Estoril’s strategy on the afternoon was clear: high pressure and clinical finishing. However, the initial breakthrough arrived through an act of unintentional generosity. The home side opened the scoring in the 36th minute via an own goal. Alverca defender **Bastien Meupiyou** suffered the unfortunate distinction of redirecting the ball past his own keeper, handing Estoril a pivotal lead late in the first half. It was a lapse in concentration that demonstrated the intense pressure Estoril was able to maintain.
Before Alverca could recover mentally from the first misstep, Estoril`s primary goal threat stepped forward. Yanis Begraoui doubled the lead just before the interval, ensuring that Estoril entered the changing rooms with a comfortable two-goal cushion, having exerted total control over the opening 45 minutes.
Second Half Escalation and the Defensive Encore
The second half began much as the first had concluded, with Estoril pressing hard to settle the match definitively. Yanis Begraoui quickly secured his brace, netting his second goal early in the second period. This third strike propelled the lead to 3-0, effectively ending the contest as a competitive fixture and leaving Alverca grasping for solutions.
Then, in a moment that epitomizes the cruel irony of football, the same defender, **Bastien Meupiyou**, repeated his earlier misfortune. In the 61st minute, Meupiyou registered his second own goal of the match. This incident sealed the result at 4-0 and provided Estoril with two free points, courtesy of Alverca`s backline. The technical analysis suggests that while defensive positioning contributed to the difficulty, the pressure applied by Estoril was relentless enough to force these unforced, critical errors.
To record two own goals in a single fixture is statistically rare and personally devastating for any defender. It highlights not just a poor day at the office for Alverca, but the psychological fragility induced by Estoril`s sustained attacking threat.
Consolation and the League Standings
FC Alverca did manage to retrieve a small measure of pride. In the 67th minute, Alex Amorim scored a consolation goal, bringing the scoreline to its final state, 4-1. This minor success, however, did little to mitigate the severe structural weaknesses exposed throughout the ninety minutes.
From a league perspective, this victory proves highly beneficial for Estoril Praia. The maximum points secured elevate them to the **9th position** in the Primeira Liga table. This move into the upper half of the league offers coach Ian Cathro’s squad valuable mid-table security and breathing room as they aim to solidify their standing for the rest of the season, a stark contrast to their position just weeks prior.
For FC Alverca, the outlook is considerably less optimistic. Remaining on 17 points at 12th place, the heavy defeat leaves them vulnerable to potentially dropping further down the table as the current match week concludes. The immediate challenge for Alverca`s coaching staff will be addressing the profound defensive stability issues highlighted by this rout, particularly those unforced errors that gifted four points to the opposition.
